Meals for New Mums

“It’s about linking community and church, and giving the church a place in the community that is recognised and respected,” says Carole McMinn about the reason behind the many community ministries run by Long Bay Baptist.

Plunket Meals for Mums is one such community ministry. Begun two years ago, it provides new mothers from the community with meals at their time of greatest need.

Each month, Carole pulls her team together cooking up to 200 meals. Those meals are frozen in microwave-proof containers. Plunket distributes the meals so that every new mother in the community receives a meal for the first three days they are home with their new baby. Mothers with post-natal depression are provided with meals for as long as they require them. A card linking the meal with Long Bay Baptist is included with the meal.

The linking with community goes beyond Plunket and Long Bay Baptist, however. Eager to get other community groups involved, Carole has enlisted the help of various groups and businesses, such as Barfoot and Thompson who have helped with the monthly cooking of meals.

Gardening for the Elderly is another Long Bay Baptist community initiative. Established six years ago, the church’s youth groups and others gather together four times a year to giving a makeover to the gardens of elderly folk who are no longer able to keep them looking tidy on their own.

If you would like to find out more about this local mission project, visit lbbc@xtra.co.nz